It Was All Hestia Jones' Fault
by themaltesefalcon
Summary: Hestia Jones accuses Tonks of not being able to get a man. Molly Weasley helps Tonks prove Hestia wrong. My other story, "A Love Story?" has Severus's POV.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All these characters belong to JK Rowling, I just happen to be in love with them.

Tonks sat in the back of the kitchen during an order meeting and fumed. "How dare that slutty-no-good Hestia Jones say that I can't get a man! Just because I don't use my metamorphmagus abilities to give myself huge boobs and platinum blonde hair! At least I'm not a _fake _whore!" she huffed silently to herself. "I'm just highly… selective. Hmph." As she slowly sipped the tea Molly had handed her, she started to calm down. When the meeting was over she'd tell Molly what Hestia had said. Molly always knew just what to say, and Molly often had a surprisingly good revenge plan when it was needed.

Molly's reaction was not what Tonks was hoping for. Rather than tell her how she _could _get any guy she wanted, Molly immediately began listing possible suitors to pursue. "Molly, I don't need a man, I just… ugh."

"Nonsense, obviously you just need a little romance in your life. Hand me a quill, I want to write these names down," Molly commanded. Resigned to a painful half-hour, Tonks handed Molly a quill which had previously been stuck in her bright pink bun. After about five minutes of fast paced scribbling, Molly shoved the list over to her.

"Molllly… why are the first three names your sons?" Tonks asked as calmly as she could. Despite some conjecturing, Tonks never had and never would be interested romantically in any Weasley. Without waiting for a response she crossed the names off the list and continued.

"You put Mundungus on the list!"

"Now wait just a minute dear, don't you think you're being just a bit unreasonable with your standards?" Molly injected with her best I'm-not-an-interfering-busy-body voice.

"Mundungus is a thieving drunk" Tonks stated flatly, "So, no." She paused for a second and continued, "And you know how I feel about dating younger men, which excludes any of your sons. Molly let out a small hum and outwardly dismissed the subject. Tonks continued to read the list and promptly crossed off two more names because the gentlemen were on the wrong side of seventy. "Remus Lupin? No offense, but he's a wimp and a werewolf. Serious emotional baggage," she added as she crossed his name off.

"Hagrid!" she screamed. "I don't even want to think about how that would work," she said firmly. Molly clucked disapprovingly.

"You've only left three names on the list. At this rate you'll be an old spinster and prove Hestia Jones completely accurate!"

Motivated, Tonks continued reading the list trying to be open-minded. "Kingsley is engaged, Molly. I'd rather be a spinster than a man-stealing whore." Molly nodded somewhat apologetically at this, and she motioned for Tonks to continue. "Professor FLITWICK!" Tonks eyes rolled backwards, and for a second she looked like she might faint. "Four words. He. Is. My. Godfather." Tonks sat down and took a few deep breaths, traumatized from the suggestion of seducing the kindly professor she'd known since birth.

Molly looked mildly shocked, and she stammered, "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry. No idea, you know." After a couple of seconds she suggested that Tonks just forget all about that, and Tonks quickly agreed, crossing out the name vigorously.

Prepared for anything at this point, Tonks read the last name on the list, "Severus?" Despite feeling that she should be strongly opposed to this, Tonks couldn't help the small part of her which was far from appalled. If anyone knew that she had always found the Professor secretly sexy, she'd either be thought insane or poisoned. Actually, she was surprised Molly would consider him as a prospective suitor.

Molly rapidly fired off arguments in favor of the man upon seeing Tonks's hesitation. "He's a good person, very brave, very smart, and he has a good job. He loves deeply, and there wouldn't be much romantic competition. And I don't know anyone who is so obviously in need of a good woman in his life." She sighed, "You would be so good for each other." Obviously, Molly was rather set on this match.

Tonks's traitorous mind was telling her that it would be foolish to oppose Molly when _Molly _was so obviously in favor of Professor Snape. Slowly, Tonks nodded.

"Wonderful!" Molly's eyes lit up. "I'll begin planning tonight; you just go to bed and leave everything to me!" As Tonks was pushed into the floo and sent on her way with a hug, she felt that she should be very, very afraid.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hope you like this slightly silly chapter. Please leave a review!**

Tonks was wearing a sexy black dress which clung to her curves as she swayed to the music. She was at the Pink Flamingo, a new wizarding club hot-spot. Across the room she saw Severus Snape standing at the edge of the dance floor, grinding with someone who seemed very familiar. As Severus Snape caught her eyes, she found herself trapped in his intense gaze. Merlin, he was sexy. Without losing eye-contact with Tonks, he twirled the woman in his arms before pulling her possessively back towards him. She felt herself moving towards this mysterious and seductive man. As she got closer, the woman he was dancing with started to look more and more familiar. Severus twirled the woman again, and this time Tonks got a good look right into the sneering, laughing face of Hestia Jones. "Nooooooooo!"

Tonks woke up with a gasp, her heart pounding. "Merlin's saggy underpants, it was just a dream!" She breathed deeply, letting herself relax back onto her soft bed. Well, this dream didn't require divination to see what it meant. She already knew that she hated Hestia Jones and maybe had a teeny weensy crush on the snarky professor. Still, that dream was not a pleasant one. So, it wasn't without trepidation that Tonks got dressed to go to Grimmauld Place for breakfast. (For whatever reason, Molly had decided that all single people in the Order were, by definition, her responsibility to feed. Tonks certainly wasn't about to question that.) After pulling a brush through her long, hot-pink hair, she decided this was the best it was going to get. She was hungry, darn it.

Sitting down at the worn table, Tonks watched as other order members trickled in for some of Molly's delicious cooking. As soon as Molly had spotted her, she'd immediately told her to sit still, not move, and leave everything to her. Mysteriously, a plate full of scrambled eggs fell onto the seat next to her, preventing anyone who may have wished to sit there from doing so. If Tonks hadn't been watching the doorway closely, she may not have noticed Severus slip into the room. Molly also seemed to have noticed, since she quickly wiped up the eggs and proceeded to physically force Snape to take that chair. Tonks could feel the blush on her face, though she kept telling herself that she really had no reason to be embarrassed. Unfortunately, an unusual amount of shyness seemed to have taken over her body, and she couldn't quite bring herself to meet Snape's eyes.

Pushing her hash browns around her plate, she slowly brought her eyes off her plate. Surreptitiously, she sneaked a glance at the professor. He seemed quite as usual, with a mild frown on his lips; which she couldn't help but watch closer than was perhaps strictly normal. Well, it wasn't her fault that he managed to make pancakes look far sexier than they should. Looking around the table, she saw Molly making gestures for Tonks to talk to the man next to her. Plucking up some of her formidable courage, Tonks breezily turned towards Severus, and asked nonchalantly if he was enjoying his breakfast. The glare he gave her was well worth the effort. Of course, being herself, she took this as a challenge, forgetting her embarrassment entirely for the moment. "Do anything fun last night, Severus?" she asked with a very impertinent grin. "Or should I say anyone?" she added with a wink.

"_Oh, my._" she thought. "_Did his jaw actually fall open?_" Well, if it had, he quickly recovered it and his forgotten manners.

"Unlike some people, I don't view others as sport or playthings to have _fun_ with." he sneered in his ridiculously tantalizing voice. Seriously, how is his voice that sexy?

"Ah, well, for that matter neither do I!" she gave her best Dumbledore impression, trying to sound wise beyond her years. Severus stared at her blankly, before clearly deciding that she was not in possession of all her faculties, and he resolutely returned to his pancakes. Well, that wouldn't do, so Tonks scrambled for another conversation starter. "Soooo, how did you spend your evening then? I don't suppose you have any hobbies?" she asked curiously.

"Please, _Nymphadora_, do not feel the need to converse with me on my account." He sneered. He certainly sneered a lot.

"I certainly shall keep that in mind, Severus. You don't mind if I call you Severus do you?" she continued cheerfully.

In disbelief, Snape shook his head, before responding somewhat sarcastically, "Oh, please; go ahead." While Tonks took a moment to think of something else to say, he quickly finished his breakfast, and slid out of his seat and the room. Tonks pouted. That certainly hadn't worked. Perhaps a slightly less cheerful approach would have been a better idea. Well, it wasn't her fault the man made her nervous as anything.

After breakfast, she stayed behind to talk to Molly. Repeating the conversation word for word, she felt better when Molly didn't seem to disapprove of her methods. In fact, Molly seemed delighted. "He really told you to call him Severus? Oh, this is going very well." With a slightly frightening grin, she ordered Tonks to report back to Headquarters at three thirty for a spot of tea.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonks sat, slumped over her desk, and wished that there wasn't quite so much paperwork involved in being the captain of a team of aurors. This certainly wasn't what she had envisioned when she'd been given her promotion. Oh, well. The pay and hours were excellent. And the job had its moments. She couldn't help but miss her old position though.

Glancing at the clock, Tonks realized she had fifteen minutes to make herself look attractive and get to the Burrow. Another glance, this time at the mirror, confirmed her belief that it would take far more than fifteen minutes to make herself look half-way decent. She pulled her (now blue) hair back into a sloppy bun, stuck a piece of gum in her mouth for her breath, and made a concentrated effort to wipe off the ink smudge on her cheek. With a shrug at the mirror, she stepped into the floo. Hopefully, Snape would be too dazzled by her charm to notice something so small as an ink smudge.

Stumbling out of the fireplace, Tonks noticed that headquarters was unusually quiet. Tea time was often a rather loud affair, with the competition over Molly's biscuits being fierce. Tonks didn't have to wonder for long; Molly quickly entered the room, clutched Tonks's arm, and tugged her into the kitchen. "Now, dear, it seems that I may have accidently spread the word that there was no tea today. Don't worry, I seem to have forgotten to tell Severus," she winked. "In fact, I specifically mentioned to Severus that I would be baking my special peanut butter biscuits today. They're his favorite, you know?" Having said that, Molly pushed Tonks into a chair, placed a platter of biscuit in front of her, and with the order, "Look casual," she disappeared into the next room.

Well, Tonks was not about to let this situation go to waste. With a furtive look around the room, she grabbed a biscuit for each hand and began munching. Soon, all the stress from her job was forgotten, as she lost herself in Molly's baking. As she pondered the skill required to create these masterpieces, the door of the kitchen opened, and Severus Snape stepped into the room. He stopped and stared at her for a moment. With a self-conscious glance down, Tonks realized she must resemble the cookie monster with her blue hair and the crumbs which were spread liberally on her face and lap… Not the most attractive look, perhaps. "Uh, hi, there," she said in the most nonchalant voice she could manage. Snape just looked at her, before sitting down and grabbing one of the biscuits. Feeling uncomfortable, Tonks wiped her face, and stood up clumsily. "I'll just fix some tea," she muttered.

Busying herself with the tea things, Tonks pretended not to notice the odd looks Snape was giving her. _"Great, now he thinks I'm deranged,"_ she thought dismally. She absent mindedly pulled herself up to sit on the countertop while she waited for the tea. After a couple of minutes, she wondered what Molly was doing. This thought was immediately followed by how Molly would feel if she knew that Snape and her were sitting here in absolute silence, ignoring each other. This just wouldn't do. But what could she say? Luckily for her, the decision was taken out of her hands.

"Where is everyone?" Snape asked with less vitriol than usual. "Not that I'm complaining," he added with a sneer.

Tonks answered with a blush, "Well, uh, it seems that somehow word got out that there would be no tea today. Guess we didn't get the memo, huh?" Snape merely raised an eyebrow, and grabbed another cookie. "More biscuits for us, right?" she continued, babbling a bit.

"Indeed."

The tea was done, and Tonks finished preparing it. "Sugar?" she asked him. He shook his head, briefly, and accepted the cup plain. Tonks only felt minorly childlike, adding three lumps of sugar and the big spoonfuls of milk to her cup. With the tea came a bit of bravery, and Tonks boldly asked, "What are you doing after tea?"

With another odd look at her, Snape replied shortly, "I am done with work for the day."

"Me too! You gonna do anything fun? I know I could use a bit of fun right now; I've been doing paperwork all day." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Tonks realized that she'd practically asked him if he wanted to do something fun _with her_. As in a date. _"Oh, well,"_ she thought pragmatically, _"I _am_ trying to seduce him, after all!" _Looking at Snape, she realized he was glaring a bit at her. "_Uh, oh," she thought. _Out loud she asked, "Uh, you alright, there?"

He arched his eyebrow again, but stopped glaring at her. "I was not planning on having fun, no," he said in a rather dry tone.

Encouraged, Tonks decided it was time to try out his first name which he had given her permission to use this morning. "Well, Severus, I'm thinking of going for a swim in the Black Lake, myself." She paused, for a second and wondered if she actually had enough courage to ask him to join her. Nope. She didn't.

"It is rather hot out," Snape allowed. "Perhaps I might go for a swim as well."

"_Victory!"_ Tonks cheered inside her head. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Harry Potter chose this moment to enter the kitchen. Tonks loved the kid, she really did, but couldn't he knock or something? I mean, okay, it _was_ his house. But she was in the middle of something! Well, being Harry Potter, he immediately annoyed Snape to the degree that he stood up, and without any kind of goodbye, swept out of the room.

"Uh…" Harry said intelligently.

"Wotcha, Harry," Tonks greeted him, resignedly, before standing up to go find Molly and tell her how it went.

Molly was encouraging and optimistic, as usual. "If we could just get Severus to stay put for more than a few minutes, you'll have him worshiping you in no time at all!" Tonks doubted this, but she knew better than to say so in front of Molly. "Now, don't worry dear. I'll work out all the details, I want _you_ to go buy a nice new outfit and come out to the Burrow tomorrow evening at six. We'll be having a barbeque, and you may want to bring a swimsuit with you.


	4. Chapter 4

Tonks sat on her bed, trying to refrain from the huge impulse she had to crawl under the covers and never come out. She had _nothing_ to wear! In all honesty, she had never considered trying to seduce anyone before… and her wardrobe was rather limited. Black pants, black shirts, and a couple of pairs of jeans. She owned _one_ pink shirt, and her swimsuit was decidedly _not_ sexy. It had never mattered before, when she just went out with friends, but Tonks now realized just how much she had neglected her appearance. Her only tube of mascara was over three years old, and her eye-shadows were better suited for a circus freak show. With a sigh, she realized she would actually have to go _shopping. _She unsuccessfully suppressed a shudder.

As soon as she stepped into the muggle clothes store, she'd realized she was woefully out of place here. Everyone was wearing outrageously tall heels, and wearing clothes which not only looked unbelievably uncomfortable, but showed more than they hid. Ignoring the bad feeling which was brewing in her stomach, Tonks walked purposefully over to the swimsuit section of the store. Her eyes quickly skimmed over a few strange styles which didn't seem like so much like swim-wear as lingerie.

Two hours later, Tonks emerged from the dressing room, triumphant. In her hands she clutched a plain black tankini, a rather boring and modest choice. However, after two hours of frustrating and mind-boggling searching, Tonks viewed the swimsuit in a similar light as if it had been made of gold. And with the tankini able to double as a shirt, she sighed in relief that the shopping was over. Paying for it quickly, Tonks went home to take a long, relaxing bath.

When six o'clock approached, Tonks put on her new swimsuit, a pair of jeans, and with nervous smile in the mirror, flooed over to the Burrow. As she tumbled out of the fireplace, she somehow managed to land right in the arms of none-other but Severus Snape. Catching her breath, the only thing she really seemed to be able to focus on was Severus's hands on her waist, holding her tight against him. The feel of his arms wrapped around her, and the delightfully male smell which surrounded her, caused her to let loose a small sigh of contentment as she lightly nuzzled his chest. Unfortunately, the moment did not last long, as her nuzzling seemed to snap him out of his shock, and he quickly pushed her away from him, looking at her as though she had just sprouted tentacles and announced her intention to marry him. "Er… hi?" she greeted him with an attempt at salvaging the situation. "Sorry about that, but you know me, I'm probably the clumsiest person on this half of the island," she grinned.

He stared at her for a second, before attempting what actually looked like the start of a _smile. _Tonks was sure that her jaw dropped, as she stared at the weird grimace Snape had managed to muster. The expression quickly vanished, and without saying a word, he turned around swooped out of the room. In awe of the almost-smile, Tonks dazedly followed after him, moving towards the scent of the hotdogs which were burning on the grill.

An hour later, having eaten as many hotdogs as her stomach would allow, Tonks threw herself onto the grass in defeat. The Weasley twins crowed as the eating contest was narrowed down to just the two of them. Tonks changed her hair to bright pink as she totally relaxed in the fading sun. Apparently though, Molly Weasley was not prepared to allow Tonks to relax. Molly didn't have to do much to convince the Twins that the eating contest could be postponed in favor of some swimming. The twins gleefully started coercing (pushing) people into the water.

Tonks saw that it would take more than a push to get Severus into the water, however. With all the courage which burnt hotdogs could give her, Tonks walked over to where Severus was standing. "Hey, are you going swimming?" she asked, feigning nonchalance.

"I did not bring a swimsuit," Severus responded, looking at her sideways instead of straight on.

"Oh, that's too bad," Tonks paused for a minute to think of something else to say. Thinking, _"Oh, what the heck_," she added saucily, "You could always skinny-dip," and she winked.

Well, apparently Severus was becoming used to her strange behavior, because instead of his jaw dropping, he merely raised an eyebrow imperiously. "I might traumatize the entire Weasley family for life. Would you risk their peace of mind?"

"_Oh my gawd. That was a joke. Severus Snape just told me a joke." _The situation was just too bizarre, and Tonks couldn't help but giggle loudly. She thought she saw the side of his mouth twitch in response. "Who knows? They might like it!" she winked again, giggling at the thought. And that's when it happened.

Severus Snape smiled. Not a grimace. Not a sneer. Not a smirk. Not an _attempt_ at a smile. A real, honest to goodness, genuine smile! And it was beautiful. Tonks thought she could feel her heart just about jump out of her chest, it was so beautiful. All she could do was grin back happily.

After about five seconds of grinning maniacally, Tonks realized that she was probably scaring him, and she quickly changed her expression into one of curiosity, "I can't really imagine you in a swimsuit. I've never seen you in less than… well, this," and she gestured to his current outfit.

Just as Severus was about to respond, Charlie Weasley called, "Tonks, come on and join me! The twins are ganging up on me!" Tonks glanced at Severus, and she shook her head to refuse. "Come on, Tonks! They're creaming me! You can't just leave a man in need!" Reluctantly, Tonks nodded goodbye to Snape and headed towards the water, easily shedding her jeans as she cannon-balled into the water.

Half an hour of fun later, Tonks emerged from the water only to see Snape trying to leave, and Molly was physically stopping him. Molly, seeing Tonks, quickly called out, "Tonks, you can't let Severus escape before I've had a chance to serve my cherry pie!"

Smiling at the weary look Severus was giving Molly, Tonks amiably walked over. "You should stay, Severus. You don't want to miss out on the cherry pie, do you?"

"I… I actually do have to go. I have an appointment I have to keep." Severus responded, looking uncomfortable.

With a twinkle in her eye, Molly said, "Perhaps you could come over for lunch tomorrow, and I'll save you a piece of the pie. You can come too, of course, Tonks, dear."

"Uh… okay," said Tonks shyly. Hopefully, Severus wouldn't find this set-up as obvious as she did.

"Alright, I'll expect you two at twelve." Molly ordered with no room for discussion. "We'll see you later Severus, dear!" With a not-so-gentle shove, she pushed Severus toward the living room and the floo.

Molly hurried off to prevent the twins from some type of mischief, and Tonks didn't get a chance to talk to her again until she left. "Alright dear, you know what to do, of course? Things are going exactly according to plan." Pushing a small bottle of perfume into her hand, she continued, "Wear this tomorrow." And with a wink, she pushed Tonks backwards into the floo.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Please leave a review? Also, in case anyone is interested, when I'm done with this story I'm thinking of writing another one from Severus's POV. Thoughts?**

Whoo. Tonks needed some time to reflect. The past two days had gone so quickly, she hadn't really had time to think about what was happening. She was _seducing_ Severus Snape. Yes, she was actually seducing the evil bat of the dungeons. And judging by the smile he'd given her yesterday, it was _working._

Now, the question was, did she actually want to be seducing him? After all, he was kind of mean to most people. Also, he had pretty funky hair. And when she really thought about it, would Hestia Jones even count him as a "catch?" Tonks doubted it. But...

Severus made her smile and laugh. He made her feel good. Furthermore, he wasn't actually that mean really,... mostly he just kept quiet and scowled at people. Finally, there was something about him that was undeniably sexy. Yes, decided Tonks, Severus Snape was a man worth pursuing.

Well, the next question was, how forward was she going to be? Was she going to let him make the first move? Or was she going to move on her own terms? This isn't the middle ages, right? On the other hand, it might scare him if she just asked him out point-blank. Tonks was pretty sure Hestia Jones never had asked anyone out. Tonks sighed. This was all Hestia Jones' fault anyway.

Oh, well. Tonks would just have to go with the flow and wing it.

But, for now, it was time to go to work. Tonks sighed again. Despite being nervous about her next encounter with Snape, she couldn't wait for lunch. Another slice of Molly's cherry pie was just an added bonus.

A few hours later, Tonks was finished with her morning shift and ready to continue on her private mission. Sniffing suspiciously at the perfume which Molly had given her the day before, Tonks carefully sprayed some behind her ears. Mmmmm, it smelled like a mixture of vanilla, cinnamon, and something she couldn't quite define. Wait a minute, it smelled a bit like an aphrodisiac. In fact, it smelled suspiciously like the new product which Fred and George had come up with.

Panicking, Tonks rushed over to the bathroom to try and scrub it off. But, of course, being a Weasley product, it needed _another _Weasley product in order to remove it. Fred and George were really taking this business thing a bit far. Looking into the mirror, she asked aloud, "Is there any chance Snape won't notice that I smell like a frickin' love potion?" After a few deep breaths, she resigned herself to her fate. She was going to die.

Marching solemnly to the fireplace, Tonks hummed a funeral march under her breath.

Entering the Burrow, Tonks looked around to see if her executer had arrived yet. Nope, Snape wasn't there. "Molly!" she yelled, determined to let it be known how displeased she was with the perfume. "Molly Weasley, I am going to KILL you!" Well, of course, that's when Snape entered the room from the kitchen.

Being herself, Tonks promptly fell over. "Er... oops," she mumbled. Blushing furiously, she looked up through her eyelashes to see Snape staring at her with the face of a man who has just found out that his date is insane. "Hi," she attempted to salvage what remained of her dignity. "Uh..," failing to think of any reasonable logic behind her wish to kill Molly Weasley, she faked cheerfulness, "Hungry for that pie, then?"

With a careful nod, Snape held out his hand for her to get up. Grabbing it eagerly, she tried to pull herself off the ground. Either Snape was much weaker than he seemed, or Tonks didn't know her own strength, because somehow she managed to pull him down with her. Or rather, down on top of her. Her eyes widened as she realized that his face was only an inch away from her own. Unconciously, she glanced down to his lips, before she carefully focused back on his darkening eyes. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Are you wearing perfume?"

"_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap,"_ she thought frantically. Outloud she said, "Uhhhhhhhh." After a frightening pause, she asked, "It was a gift?"

"I see," he replied, his brow furrowing in obvious confusion. "Are you aware that what you are wearing contains an aphrodisiac?"

Widening her eyes, she feigned ignorance, "A what?"

Narrowing his eyes again, he repeated, "An aprhodisiac; a food, drug, potion, or other agent that heightens sexual attraction."

"_Oh my, Snape just said 'sexual!'" _Tonks thought in amazement. "Really, Severus? Are you sure my perfume contains an aphrodisiac?" she asked, attempting skepticism.

With a faint blush, Severus cleared his throat, "Yes, quite." Quickly getting up, he once again offered his hand for her to take. Accepting it, she managed to get up without causing anymore accidents.

The two of them went quickly to the kitchen, Snape carefully avoiding looking anywhere in her general vicinity as he held open the door.

"Molly just left, but she said that we could help ourselves." Severus said stiffly, setting out two plates onto the table.

"Wow, we have almost a whole pie all to ourselves!" exclaimed Tonks increduously. "Jackpot!" With a wide grin in Severus's direction, she cut herself an extra-extra large piece.

Smirking at her, Snape cut a much smaller piece, and promptly put a bite into his mouth. His eyes closed as he savoured Molly's delicious baking. Ignoring him, Tonks happily shoveled the rest of the pie into her mouth.

Setting his fork down, Snape announced, "I have never seen anyone enjoy their food as much as you do..." After a brief pause, in which she continued to show her appreciation for Molly's pie, he continued, "Have you tried the new restaurant which just opened up in Diagon Alley? ... I happen to know the owner, and could get a reservation, if you'd like?" His hesitant manner made Tonks look up from her dessert.

"_Did Severus Snape just ask me out on a date?"_ she thought in wonder. Gulping down the large bite of pie in her mouth, she began coughing vigorously. Grabbing a glass of water, she managed to halt the coughing fit. Looking up, she saw Severus looking at her in complete dismay. "I never turn down food," she grinned easily. "What time do you want to meet?"

"Uh, seven?" asked Severus, regaining some of his composure.

"You're on!" Tonks replied, cheerfully returning to her pie. She officially had a date with Severus Snape, and she couldn't be happier.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. For some reason Tonks and Severus did not want to act in character. Tonks kept turning into Hermione Granger, and Severus kept behaving like Harry Potter. It was disturbing. Please leave me a review if you like it!**

Tonks bit her lip, looking in the mirror. She'd been on plenty of dates, but usually they ended in a very platonic friendship. For some reason she felt more comfortable joking around with guys than making out with them. The few short-lived relationships she'd had were great until lack of chemistry inevitably got in the way. But with Severus... her eyes got a dreamy look in them. Let's just say lack of chemistry _wasn't_ a problem. The man was sexy! 

Which led to Tonks's current problem; she didn't really know what to do on a date. Should she try to be sultry? What if she tripped? Should she kiss him? What if she tripped _while_ she was kissing him? Tonks's eyes widened in horror at the all too probable scenario. 

Pulling herself together, Tonks told her reflection sternly, "Stop that. You don't have time for self-doubt." With a sharp nod, she headed determinedly towards the kitchen for some much needed chocolate. 

Three hours later, it was almost time to head over to The Diagon Dragon, the restaurant Severus had invited her to. It was a pretty fancy place, so Tonks had put on her only formal dress. It was a dark blue cocktail gown, which she'd bought with the idea that it would do at a funeral in a pinch. Slightly morbid? Yes, but very practical. Tonks had maneuvered her currently curly black hair into a rather sloppy looking, but painstakingly arranged, bun. Paired with some plain black shoes and a rather ugly small purse, Tonks decided that she looked pretty darn good. It was show time, and her stomach gave an excited flutter of anticipation as she stepped into the floo. 

Arriving at the floopoint for the restaurant, Tonks managed to exit semi-gracefully. Suddenly timid in the face of the obvious elegance of the place, she walked slowly towards the podium where waiters were showing the wizarding world's elite to their tables. 

"Reservation?" a distinguished looking elderly waiter asked when Tonks got to the front of the line. 

"Um, Snape?" replied Tonks uncertainly. 

"Certainly, Mademoiselle," the waiter smiled and gestured for her to follow him. She took a seat facing away from the entrance, gratefully taking a menu. Clearly attempting to put her at ease, the waiter kindly asked, "Mademoiselle is waiting for the date, yes?" 

Blushing slightly, Tonks murmured that she believed so. 

"Ah, but Mademoiselle is not sure?" the waiter nodded understandingly. "You would like it to be though, am I right?" he added with a somewhat salacious wink. 

Forgetting her discomfort with the elegance surrounding her, Tonks relaxed and replied frankly, "Rather!" Smiling, the waiter tapped his nose knowingly and left to deal with a grumpy looking man on the other side of the room. 

Tonks turned around to check the entrance, only to find herself looking straight into Severus Snape's incredibly dark eyes. "Eep!" she squeaked composedly. How much of her conversation with the waiter had he heard? "Fancy meeting you here?" she attempted to cover her nervousness with very nervous laughter. His face remained expressionless, and she added uncertainly, "See, that was a joke. I knew I was going to meet you here." Snape nodded briefly and sat down across from her. Turning to her menu, Tonks distracted herself from her own social mishaps by reviewing the delicious sounding meals the restaurant offered. "Any suggestions?" she asked Snape after a couple of minutes, desperate to start some sort of conversation. 

"Well," answered Snape, deliberating, "You might enjoy their steak." Somewhat hesitantly he added, "Their oyster dish is very good." 

Unable to resist, Tonks asked with false innocence, "Aren't oysters supposed to be aphrodisiacs, Severus?" She attempted a coy smile. 

Appearing a bit flustered, Severus stiltedly replied that he believed some people thought so but it was not scientifically verified. He cleared his throat in apparent discomfort. 

Taking a leaf from the friendly waiter's book, Tonks winked and said, "I guess I'd better order them then. In the name of science!" 

Raising an eyebrow, Snape replied, "I'm sure it isn't necessary for you to sacrifice yourself for science." 

"Well, " acknowledged Tonks, " I might actually prefer a steak. I'm not much for seafood besides fish and chips." 

To Tonks delight, when the waiter took their orders, Snape asked for the oysters. 

"So," said Tonks conversationally, "You never answered my question the other morning. Do you have any hobbies?" She continued, joking, "Mine is tripping, as you already know." 

Smiling a little, Snape responded, "Actually, I cook. I find it similar to potions." Tonks stared at him in unabashed awe. Having an enormous love of food and an inability to even boil water could be very frustrating. Apparently taking her silence as disapproval, Snape quickly defended himself. "I realize some people wouldn't view cooking as a masculine hobby. I assure you, I cook only the most masculine of meals," he stated, using dry wit as his weapon of choice. Seeing her amusement, he continued in a comic fashion, "Like meat. Yes, I only cook meat, because meat is masculine and so am I." He nodded vigorously as she burst into laughter. 

Grinning widely, Tonks half-joked, "Severus Snape, will you marry me?" 

With a small smile, Snape played along, "This is all so sudden, Miss. Tonks." 

"What can I say?" she said, "I love to eat!" 

They spent the rest of the evening in comfortable conversation, with Tonks asking Severus any question that came to mind. The food was delicious, and Snape actually felt comfortable enough to make a joke about the oysters. As they finished their meal, Tonks couldn't help but feel that this was the easiest date she'd ever been on. Well, except for that one time with Gregory Newton when they'd spent the entire time debating over Quidditch. Not what you'd call romantic.  
After splitting the bill, the two of them walked slowly towards the floo. "You have good taste in food, Severus. That steak was amazing," Tonks sighed contentedly. 

"If you would like, you could try my linguini with meatballs. You could come over for dinner at my house," Snape replied in a strangely formal voice. 

"_Did he just ask me out on another date? Jackpot!,"_ Tonks's inner dialog cheered. Accidently turning her hair violet in excitement, Tonks gave her customary grin. "You can cook for me anytime!" she answered. He didn't smile, but the stiff lines around Snape's mouth relaxed, and he nodded. 

"Perhaps Thursday evening at six?" he asked. 

"I'll be there!" Tonks responded happily. 

"You know my address, of course?" Snape verified. 

"Sure do!" Tonks confirmed, choosing that moment to bring the date to an end by unceremoniously falling face first into the floo. The last thing she saw as she was whisked away to her apartment was Severus Snape unsuccessfully suppressing his laughter.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I hope you reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Especially the last bit. ;) **

Tonks hurried excitedly to the Burrow the next day after work to tell Molly everything that had happened. "Molly!" she announced, bursting into the kitchen, "I went on a _date_!" Molly and Minerva McGonagall's pleased but amused faces met her as she finished this sentence.

"Perhaps you might want to reconsider announcing details about your personal life until you know exactly who you're speaking to," Minerva told Tonks mildly. Tonks blushed furiously and nodded.

"That's alright, dear," Molly said comfortingly, "I was actually just consulting Minerva on your situation." Pausing at the mortified expression on Tonks's face, she continued, "Of course, Minerva is the only person I would ever dream of telling about you and Severus." She smiled reassuringly, "As Severus's colleague and friend, Minerva has unique insight on him."

"Right," Tonks slowly sat down and tried to cope with the fact that her former professor was now acquainted with the intimate details of her personal love life. "Er, it's nice to see you again, Professor."

"Well," encouraged Molly, "tell us all about your date."

Grinning, Tonks gave them a play-by-play description of the previous night. "Can you believe he invited me to his _house_?" she finished happily.

"Oh, that's absolutely lovely, dear," sighed Molly. "You've done a better job than I thought possible. Imagine that! Severus Snape is pursuing you without any kind of outside influence!"

Minerva had a very odd look on her face. Shaking her head in wonder, she said slowly, "I do believe that Severus is _courting_ you."

The idea of being courted was so old-fashioned and strange that Tonks giggled involuntarily. McGonagall's reproachful glance quickly silenced her. But, really! Courtship was for ladies, and no one would ever describe _Tonks_ as a _lady._ Except,... as Tonks remembered Severus's hesitant and formal invitation, she realized that perhaps Severus did view her as a lady. And that realization made her smile.

When Friday arrived, Tonks couldn't help feeling just a little apprehensive. She was entering completely uncharted territory. Tonks was not sure that she knew anyone who'd ever actually seen Snape's house. Except maybe Dumbledore. And, hopefully, Dumbledore hadn't done any of the things she was planning on doing with Severus. Pulling on some black slacks and a Weird Sister's t-shirt she'd forgotten she had, Tonks thought about bringing a gift. If her own cooking skills were a bit more developed, she might try to bring dessert. Oh, well. Bracing herself, she stepped into the fireplace and called out, "Spinner's End!"

Strangely, the floo landed her in Snape's backyard. Investigating, Tonks realized that he had installed an actual furnace on the outside of his house. The yard was not well kept, and on a whim, Tonks plucked an errant dandelion and stuck it in her currently blue hair. Walking over to the front of the house, Tonks banged the door knocker several times.

After a few seconds, Severus Snape answered the door, breathing a bit more quickly than was quite normal. "Hello," he nodded and gestured for her to come in. Tonks noted with disappointment that he was wearing his entire uniform, frock coat and all.

Snape led her through a very sparse hallway to an even sparser dining room. He had clearly made an effort, and the table was covered and beautifully set. As he cleared his throat, Tonks realized that he was holding out a chair for her. Tonks couldn't recall the last time anyone had held out a chair for her. She was fairly convinced that it had actually never happened before. Looking up at him through her eyelashes, she took the seat.

"This is beautiful, Severus," she complimented him, gesturing at the table.

Severus nodded, and his ram-rod straight posture relaxed the tiniest amount. "I'll go get our plates," he said, turning towards what was presumably the kitchen. He soon brought back two large plates of absolutely heavenly looking spaghetti and truly humongous meatballs. Tonks's mouth started watering eagerly. It smelled _so_ good. Seeing her clear approval, Snape smiled slightly as he set down their plates. "What would you like to drink?" he asked.

"Water would be great," Tonks replied without taking her eyes of the delicious looking plate of food in front of her. Smiling, Severus left the room again and returned a few moments later with two tall glasses of water.

About ten minutes later, Tonks looked up from her still half-full plate. Having confirmed that the food was as good as it smelled, she now remembered that her primary goal was _not_ supposed to be eating. _"Whoops,"_ thought Tonks, realizing that she'd been completely ignoring her host. Well, it wasn't her fault he was such a good cook!

"This is absolutely delicious" Tonks said a bit shyly, as she self-consciously cleared off the sauce on her face.

"Thank you," Severus replied modestly, with the faintest hint of a smirk. His eyes lingered on her lips as she carefully wiped them clean. "I've never cooked for anyone before," he added absentmindedly.

"Really?" asked Tonks with surprise. "You would deprive the world of this masterpiece? Now I know why they call you cruel," she quipped. With a grin, she continued, "Now that I've tasted your food, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"What have I done?" he deadpanned in return.

"Effectively made me your slave, that's what! I'm pretty sure I'd do anything to have more of this pasta," she winked.

"Should I expect to see you knocking on my door at all hours, then?" he asked with the trace of a smile.

"Maybe I'll just move in!" Tonks half-joked. "This kind of food is really priceless," she nodded to emphasize her point. Severus smiled at her, and she swore her heart skipped a beat.

About an hour later, Severus suggested that they move to the sitting room to continue their conversation. Following him, she noticed that this room was much more homey than the rest of the house. Cheerful curtains hung from the windows, a colorful throw rug sat in front of the fireplace, and some cozy looking pillows were placed on a well-worn couch. In the corner, by an overly full bookcase, was a very worn armchair. Funnily enough, all the nice things in the room looked rather new.

Somewhat primly, Severus sat down on the end of the couch. Tonks curled up next to him easily and decided that this was the most comfortable couch she'd ever sat on. She said as much and was rewarded when Severus relaxed his posture a bit. Looking up at him, she noticed his lips were awfully close. She could probably just lean forward and kiss them.

She was interrupted from this deliciously tempting thought by the sound of Severus's deep voice. "Excuse me?" she asked, not having heard him.

Blushing uncharacteristically, Severus cleared his throat and repeated stiffly, "I was wondering if you would allow me to kiss you."

_ "Did Severus Snape really just ask my permission to kiss me?" _Tonks thought in awe. _"He honestly thinks I'm some kind of lady," _she blinked dazedly. Realizing he was waiting for an answer, she replied in her most formal voice, "That would be acceptable," and she grinned widely.

With a look of utmost concentration on his face, Severus ever so slowly took her face in his hands and lowered his lips onto hers. His lips were soft, and warm, and gentle, and they felt bloody amazing. Tentatively, Tonks placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed a bit closer to him. As he caressed her hair, Tonks moaned. Something in him snapped, and his kiss became much more insistent. Pushing her back onto the couch, he lay on top of her. One of his hands slowly made its way to her waist as he used the other hand to tug lightly at her hair. He ground slightly against her, as he bit her lower lip. Pulling him closer, Tonks allowed her hands to roam freely, feeling as though she couldn't ever get enough of this magical feeling.

She had found heaven, and it lay in the arms of Severus Snape.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm writing/have written this story from Severus's POV! It's called, "A Love Story?" I hope you'll read and enjoy it as well as this story!**

Tonks carefully maintained as neutral an expression as possible while Severus Snape played footsie with her under the table during an order meeting. Never in a million years did she think Severus Snape would ever play footsie with anyone. Tonks felt like grinning. She always felt like grinning lately. Severus had asked to kiss her three months ago, and their relationship had took off from there.

Tonks was pretty sure she was in love.

As the meeting came to an end, Tonks reluctantly stood up. And, oh, dear lord. Hestia Jones was walking towards Tonks with a purposeful expression on her face. Tonks fought the urge to hide behind Severus. An irrational fear? Perhaps, but there it was.

"Nymphadora, darling!" shrieked Hestia loudly. "Still alone?" she asked with a malicious false concern. "And you've simply got to do something about that outfit!" She burst into high-pitched laughter.

As Tonks felt her face grow red, she had to consciously restrain herself from punching Hestia in her garish face.

"I hear you actually got demoted! Tonks, darling, really?" Hestia Jones continued nastily.

"Actually, Hestia, daaahling, I asked to be given back my old job," Tonks replied mockingly. "And I'm NOT single," she added, grinding her teeth in furious frustration.

"Of course," Hestia smirked infuriatingly.

Just when Tonks was about to seriously lunge for her throat, a calming hand was placed on her shoulder.

"While you looks may be more disgustingly artificial than Nymphadora's, your grating voice and deficient mental state are far worse than your deplorable views on what it means to look feminine," Snape sneered viciously.

Giggling helplessly at the look on Hestia's face, Tonks pulled Severus towards the floo before he could get carried away. She fully intended to show him how grateful she was for his passionate defense.

With a satisfied smirk, Severus fingered the ring in his pocket.

In the back of the room, Molly carefully observed everything that was happening. Pleased, she decided her work here was done.

Now, if only she could find some nice young man for Hestia... *cue evil laughter*

**A/N: Hopefully, you guys aren't appalled by the short length of this ending, or anything else about it. I have always hated ending stories, personally. Also, in case it was unclear, yes, Snape is going to propose to Tonks. Please leave me a review to tell me what you liked and what you thought didn't work in the story!**


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